Meesho, India’s largest reselling website, has negotiated a $250 million funding round led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund, the Economic Times has reported. The round, if completed, will value Meesho at between $1.5bn…
Seattle’s Flexe Raises Another $10m to Supercharge Series C
FLEXE, a Seattle-based startup that offers retailers on-demand warehouse space, has raised another $10 million of a Series C funding round it first announced last month. The extra cash brings the round…
Deaths and Self-immolation Prompts China Tech Hours Reckoning
The death of an e-commerce employee in western China has caused an outcry about lengthy working hours at the country’s tech giants – with state media joining the call. On December 29…
“Singles Day” Breaks Alibaba Records – But Regulation Knocks Chinese Stocks
Alibaba, the Chinese tech giant, has pulled in record sales figures. Yet not all is rosy for the firm. In previous years “Singles Day”—a Chinese Black Friday—has been measured in 24-hour frames.…
Financing Startup Wayflyer Wins $10.2m Seed Funding
Wayflyer, a startup that connects e-commerce platforms with funding, is the recipient of a $10.2 million seed round. The backing, led by Washington, DC-based QED Investors, will help Wayflyer scale its product…
Alibaba Pays $2bn for Chinese E-Commerce Firm Kaola
Chinese tech giant Alibaba has acquired e-commerce site Kaola from compatriot NetEase for around $2 billion. Kaola, which sells imported goods in China, and competes with JD.com’s JD Worldwide, and Alibaba’s own…
How Sefamerve Aims to Master the $254bn Islamic Fashion Market
Islamic fashion, oftentimes known as modest fashion, is a $254 billion market. Perhaps it’s surprising, then, that so few startups have made a successful go at dominating it. Sefamerve, a Turkish e-commerce…
Here Are Macau’s Three Most Exciting Startups
Hong Kong may be recognized as the tech darling of China’s south coast. But its sister territory, just a four-hour ferry across the Zhujiang River Estuary, has a startup scene of its…
Swag’r CEO Greg Williams: “Millennials are Looking to Have Experiences with Brands”
In 2014, Greg Williams had an idea. The smartphone era was already in full swing, and mobile advertising was on the up. Williams, a serial entrepreneur and e-commerce veteran, saw that students…
Klook Looks Global with $200m Funding Round
Travel platform Klook has won a $200 million Series D funding round, as the Hong Kong-headquartered firm looks to expand beyond its strong Asian base. The round, led by firms including Sequoia…